Romantic hit

Scythe hammer as a backdrop for local musical

Back to the year 1987: Clara Sabin (Julia) and Simon Gerner (Robert)(Bild: Gernot Wührleitner)

Scharnstein is a new venue for the Salzkammergut Capital of Culture 2024: the former scythe factory directly on the Alm River provides the wonderful backdrop for "Hammer", a love story from the region, full of swing and songs that really set the emotional hammer in motion.

The musical "Hammer" was actually written in 1987. Scharnstein is still a working-class town, because the hammers of the Redtenbacher company are still in motion. But upheavals are on the horizon: Robert prefers to learn to be an electrician instead of going to the scythe factory - and Julia goes to university.

But the young lovers are beaten up by their parents' generation. But the real reason for this is not their different life plans, but their parents' past.

Clara Sabin, Simon Gerner and Michael Kuttnig (right)(Bild: Gernot Wührleitner)

The young lovers(Bild: Gernot Wührleitner)

Michael Kuttnig and members of the Rat Big Band(Bild: Gernot Wührleitner)

Good songs, good voices
The story that Nik Raspotnik (Linz) and Hermann Miesbauer (music) came up with for the musical "Hammer" fits the region perfectly. Dramaturgically, there is a lot of storytelling and singing, not much acting.

But the good voices make up for everything. Clara Sabin and Simon Gerner shine in the leading roles with a great overall performance, as do Kerstin Turnheim (Robert's mother) and Michael Kuttnig (Julia's father). The hits written by Miesbauer are tailor-made for his RAT Big Band, but also leave room for heartbreak melodies.

An authentic backdrop
Particularly worth seeing: the temporary theater is housed directly in an empty industrial building, an old Puch motorcycle and film clips (Josef Pitschmann) bring in the atmosphere and history of the scythe factory, in fact the whole place plays a role. A piece of regional musical theater worth seeing!

There will be 15 performances in empty spaces, but the musical could also be performed at other locations.

Incidentally, ORF chief reporter and political journalist Fritz Dittlbacher, who comes from Kirchdorf/Krems, was present at the premiere. To set the mood, he described historical facts about the iron hammers and the labor movement.